Good friend George W9EVT is coming down, and will be joined by Bill KC9YBL for part of the event. Unfortunately school/work commitments will leave two of my licensed sons at home – hope they keep off my Flex-6700 [Grin].

W9DXCC

Looks to be an excellent schedule again this year – details at the Website: http://w9dxcc.com/

Society of Midwest Contesters

We will join the SMC (Society of Midwest Contesters) for Pizza Friday night – Website: http://www.w9smc.com

VOA Radiogram for March 23/24 will be similar to the past weekend’s program in that it features the PSK modes. Much of Kim’s script will be the same. In this weekend’s broadcast, however, only one mode at a time will be transmitted. This should improve the signal-to-noise ratio and ability to decode each mode.

Each will be centered on 1500 Hz:

BPSK31 (1:00)

PSK63F (1:00)

BPSK63 (1:00)

PSKR125 (1:00)

PSKR250 (1:00)

PSKR500 (1:00)

PSKR1000 (1:00)

PSKR125 (3:45) Plain text

PSKR250 (2:40) Flmsg* formatted (with html)

MFSK32 (0:55) Image

*Install Flmsg. Then, in Fldigi: Configure > Misc > NBEMS > under Reception of flmsg files click Open with flmsg and Open in browser, and below that state where your Flmsg file is located.

If decoding performance is still not satisfactory, VOA Radiogram in future weekends will feature more robust modes, such as MFSK, MT63, and Olivia.

These operations put radio amateurs and their support crews at considerable risk.

Bluntly, they are not worth the level of risk being undertaken, much less are they worthwhile in an economic sense.

One cannot think of any non-emergency radio QSO (contact) that is worth putting another radio amateur in danger, much less worth losing a life to make that QSO.

These ultra-rugged DXpeditions certainly cross both those lines.

It is one thing if duty takes a person to a risky remote dangerous location, and they happen to be able to work QSOs as a radio amateur. It is quite another to foolishly egg on our fellow hams to undertake these risks for purely hobby reasons.

Could you forgive yourself if you were at the other end of the QSO when disaster struck down the DXpeditioneer you were in QSO with? Even one step removed making the connection less personal, could you look an DXpeditioneer’s XYL widow and family in the eye? Could you tell them “and it was worth it?”

Every task we undertake a certain element of risk – even typing for this blog is riskier than some alternative activities and safer than some other possible activities. We quantify perceived risk with “common sense.” It is a temporary set-aside of that “common sense” that leads us to encourage DXpeitions with off-skew Risk vs. Reward benefits.

What to do about it?

Some fellow hams simply won’t work risk crazy DXpeditions, to distance themselves from the problem.

Others use their checkbooks and sponsor only DXpeitions that are sensible.

Some call for the award bodies (ARRL, CQ, IOTA and such…) to simply disallow any DXpedition that is high peril.

I’m thinking as a community we need to do all three, and add a fourth item – get our “DX Drive” back in check.

There is no place to work that someone else hasn’t already worked. They might not be hams, but a radio contact of some sort has happened before.

DXing is often claimed to be a personal journey of self-challenge. Perhaps if we held that more important than encouraging high risk DXpeditions for personal vanity and brief peer recognition, we would be better off.

I could not hear Bhutan A5A well enough to call, though it was exciting to hear those stations who could hear A5A doing their QSOs. As a rule I do not “call blind” like some unfortunate fellow hams do. I will listen until I am certain I can complete a QSO before calling.

The changing band conditions pushed DX from 10m to 20m during the brief period I operated SSB and I chose to pursue other interests (A good friend had major surgery and we learned he was able & welcoming visitors. Also I had just received a signed copy of a novel being released in a few weeks, which I wanted to read for review) after leaving the station run in RX mode only for a while listening. Never did key up the station again during the weekend.

What wasn’t happening with DigiFest? The number of participants I could hear was low and band conditions were not great from this QTH during the time slot I worked. I also didn’t get myself pumped up enough to make exchanging “599 Grid Square” appeal. Some stations were doing a QSY-Mode working through the allowable modes one after another with any station they could keep on frequency. That was moderately interesting.

I also didn’t properly prepare. One of the boys had borrowed (with permission) the stereo speakers from the small unit in the radio room, which in the past I had often played when working a digital contest. As the intended wine cellar for the house, the radio room was darn cold and I should have dragged out a heater. Seems odd to need added heat first weekend of June, but the room was cold.

I also didn’t do one of the main things effective contesters need to do. I didn’t properly arrange my schedule and clear it from conflicts during planned operating periods. Working digital can be prone to “mind wandering” sessions, which I was quickly guilty of as well.

My station location is rather isolated in the house, which is a disadvantage at times. I’d enjoy having an operating location in the midst of the household where I could see outside and enjoy more of home life – even if that compromised serious operating. I’d like to retain the radio room for more focused efforts. Future project there.

Nonetheless even poor band conditions and multiple distractions didn’t keep me from a small bit of DX and some radio fun!